Charlie Thomas was raised on a mixed livestock and cropping farm 100km north of Condobolin in NSW.
“That’s still in the family, my older brother’s taken over the property there and Mum and Dad are still involved, and all the extended family are still in agriculture,” he told Country News.
Mr Thomas knew working on the farm wasn’t for him, so he moved to Sydney to study law, but found out law wasn’t for him either.
“I didn’t think I’d find my way back into agriculture at the time, but I think as so many of us find, it’s in your blood, and it’s hard to stay away, so I subsequently spent most of my career back in ag,” he said.
“I wanted to do something closer to political advocacy, and managed to find my way to NSW Farmers, where I worked firstly in livestock policy, but, for most of my time there, was focused on land use conflict type issues.”
After a break from agriculture, he found his way to the National Farmers’ Federation.
“I spent 10 years with the NFF in a few different roles, working across policy, communications and advocacy, but probably the most substantive part of my role was in building up the business of the NFF and diversifying the revenue sources,” Mr Thomas said.
“I think you get to a point in an organisation where you’ve done what you can, and the opportunity came up with the VFF, and I just look at what’s happening right now in the political environment and how that’s affecting farmers in Victoria, and ... I think I can contribute a lot to the VFF.”
He has knowledge of the specific struggles northern Victorian farmers are facing, including with Commonwealth water buybacks.
“I’ve spent a fair bit of time, even just on recreation time, in the area, but, certainly working on issues that are really closely connected to northern Victoria, the Murray-Darling Basin, is something that we did a huge amount of work on.
“The way that northern Victoria is getting short-changed by the water buybacks, under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, at the moment is a huge issue for us at the VFF and something that I’m really passionate about.”
His top five concerns for farmers include the ongoing drought and the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.
“The most pressing one is obviously the drought, the conditions that people are facing across the state.
“The fire service levy ... farmers have been given a 12-month reprieve on that, but that’s going to remain a critical fight for us as an organisation over the next 12 months to see that permanently abandoned — that is such an ill-conceived and unfair tax on farmers.”
Mr Thomas said road funding, land use and the water debate completed his top five concerns as he started his new role.
“The water debate, isn’t going to go away,” he said.
“We’re staring down the end of the current phase of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in the next little bit, and that’s something that we’re going to need to be really focused on.”
Mr Thomas said he has known current VFF president Brett Hosking for a while and is happy to continue their professional relationship.
“Brett and I have known each other for quite a few years.
“I’ve had a good relationship with Brett for years, but obviously never worked together this closely, but so far, so good.
“I think we’re really aligned in where we see the future of the VFF and the work that needs to get done, so I’m really confident that’s going to be a productive collaboration between the two of us.”
Mr Thomas started in his new role on Monday, July 7.
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